Chapter 13 Meeting (Second Update)

Chapter 13

As soon as Qi Donghan finished speaking, he raised his hand and pushed Uncle Meng, who fell to the ground with a thud.

From start to finish, it only took a second or two; no one had time to react.

However, the sound of Uncle Meng falling to the ground was so loud that it was hard for anyone to ignore it.

They instinctively looked over, wanting to see which heroes were among them, and even the members of the Meng clan pushed and shoved.

It's a pity that the rain was too heavy, like beads falling from a broken string, making it difficult to see clearly.

Only a faint outline could be seen: an extremely tall and imposing man stood in the rain, rainwater streaming down his sharp brow bone, his soaked military green shirt clinging tightly to his bulging muscles.

He stood in the mud, his posture as straight as a javelin, supporting Meng Yingying with one hand and holding up the coffin with the other.

However, he stood between Meng Yingying and Uncle Meng, making the previously arrogant Uncle Meng dare not take another step forward.

who is he?

This was almost everyone's first reaction.

They all went to see Meng Yingying, assuming that the other party was an accomplice she had invited.

But that's not actually the case.

Meng Yingying did not recognize the other person either.

Meng Yingying was on the verge of fainting. She tried to open her eyes wide to see the man in front of her, but the rain was too heavy, and the effort made her eyelids heavy.

She looked up and saw only a sharp chin.

I sniffed and seemed to smell a wonderful pine scent, like a pine tree in the snow, crisp and refreshing.

She wanted to take another look, but after catching a glimpse of the coffin being propped up, she seemed relieved and let her head fall limply.

"Yingying!"

Seeing her like this, Zhao Yueru shouted urgently, but she shouted too fast and was met with a thunderclap from the sky.

As a result, Qi Donghan didn't hear very clearly, one by one?

What a sloppy name.

He looked down at the woman who was almost pressing down on his arm; she was dressed in mourning clothes and covered in mud.

His face, like a tabby cat's, was mottled with black and white patches from the rain, and he was also a bit chubby, which made his arms slightly bent.

His hair, however, was jet black, like satin, cascading down and wrapping around his arm, clinging tightly to it—it was somewhat cool and excessively soft.

"Comrade Qi, thank you."

Before Qi Donghan could think further, Zhao Yueru took Meng Yingying from his arms, steadied her, and then said in rapid succession, "This is my best friend."

“Her father is gone, and now the whole clan is bullying her, an orphan.”

As if she had found a backer and allies, Zhao Yueru poured out her heart, "A bunch of grown men used the coffin-carrying incident to bully my friend, trying to force her to marry someone she didn't want to marry, and even trying to take away the house her father left her."

"They're squandering the family fortune!"

"Comrade Qi, please help her."

Zhao Yueru was quick-witted and explained the whole story in just a few words.

After listening, Qi Donghan glanced at Meng Yingying's profile and thought she looked rather pitiful.

Then, he looked up and glanced at Uncle Meng, who was still on the ground. Uncle Meng realized what was happening and immediately slapped his butt and got up from the mud.

He glanced at Qi Donghan, his tone fierce but his voice weak, "Comrade, this is an internal matter of my Meng family clan. It has nothing to do with you. I advise you to mind your own business!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Donghan immediately laughed. He doesn't laugh often, and his muscles were a little uncomfortable when he laughed like that.

It's a very beautiful face, but at this moment it looks somewhat like a nightmare for ghosts!

He smiled, but his eyes revealed a ruthless intent. "What a coincidence. I like to do a good deed every day. What? You want me to make an exception?"

Uncle Meng was taken aback. Seeing that he wouldn't listen to force, he tried a softer approach, once again mentioning the influence of the Meng clan in the area.

"Comrade, I advise you to think carefully. My Meng family is not to be trifled with. If you offend my Meng family, you may be making enemies of the Meng clan."

Qi Donghan got tired of lifting the coffin with one hand, so he switched to the other. What was a heavy weight for Meng Yingying was easy for him.

He casually retorted, "What? Weren't you notified when the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949?"

Uncle Meng was taken aback. "What do you mean by that?"

"The Meng clan? There is only the state now, not clans. If you don't even understand this principle..."

Qi Donghan narrowed his eyes, a hint of danger in them, "I'd like to ask your commune director if the power of the clan is above the law?"

This compliment made Uncle Meng's face turn pale instantly. He took a few steps back and said, "Comrade, that's not how it's said."

"This is an internal matter for the Meng family. Please be lenient and let us handle it ourselves."

His tone also became increasingly lower.

Because Qi Donghan didn't look like someone to be trifled with. What's more, he was wearing a military uniform.

Therefore, Uncle Meng attempted to ease tensions between the two sides and also wanted Qi Donghan to leave without interfering in the coffin-carrying matter.

Because they all knew that this was his only bargaining chip to control Meng Yingying.

Unfortunately, Qi Donghan had no intention of easing tensions with him. He glanced at Uncle Meng and the people behind him.

He glanced again at Meng Yingying, who had fainted from exhaustion due to excessive grief.

His voice was neither loud nor soft, but it carried an overwhelming sense of oppression: "Handle it yourself? Handling it yourself means you're uniting the entire clan to bully an orphan girl?"

Uncle Meng wanted to say no, but when he met Qi Donghan's sharp gaze, he could only swallow nervously and argue, "We didn't."

Qi Donghan gave a noncommittal smirk, wondering if his mother had been bullied by humans in the same way during the years she raised him.

"Old Zhou."

“You’re from Mengjiatun, contact the Women’s Federation and let them handle this. If they can’t handle it, then make this a big deal.”

He spoke casually, but anyone could hear the threat in his words.

Zhou Jingsong, holding an umbrella, sat under his wheelchair. Although he was blind, his senses were sharp.

You can basically tell what happened from their conversation.

He covered his eyes with white gauze and looked around. Although he couldn't see, he could still tell the general direction.

"I'll handle it."

One sentence chilled Uncle Meng's heart. It was true that Zhou Jingsong was from Mengjiatun, but he was an outsider.

This outsider was doing quite well in the team, but how did this person get involved now?

Uncle Meng wanted to speak.

Unfortunately, neither Zhou Jingsong nor Qi Donghan gave him a chance, "if it's not handled well."

Qi Donghan smiled and said, "Then the Meng clan is worth investigating."

These days, every clan deserves a thorough investigation.

The Meng clan is the same.

Uncle Meng couldn't understand why things had escalated so much when he simply wanted to take back the house behind Meng Yingying.

"Comrade."

He tried to de-escalate the situation.

Qi Donghan ignored him, which made Uncle Meng feel a little awkward. He wanted to go forward, but looking at Qi Donghan's height of 1.9 meters, it seemed that the other party could kick him half to death with a single step.

This made Uncle Meng hold back.

Qi Donghan lifted his foot to leave, but his shoe sank into the mud.

Zhou Jingsong heard this and twitched his ears. "Old Qi, you?"

Qi Donghan's features were wet with rain, making him look less fierce and more handsome. He said succinctly, "Carry the coffin."

Zhou Jingsong frowned slightly. He knew that his comrade-in-arms was never one to meddle in other people's business.

Why is he helping someone carry a coffin today?

What does this have to do with him?

When did Qi Donghan become so kind-hearted?

Zhao Yueru finally realized what was happening. She struggled to support Meng Yingying and said to Zhou Jingsong, "Comrade Zhou, this is my best friend's father. Please have your comrades help carry the coffin."

“He won’t carry the coffin.” Zhao Yueru said indignantly, “These people are probably going to bully my friend to death by making him carry the coffin.”

Zhou Jingsong was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected to hear Zhao Yueru's voice here.

This also seems to explain why he didn't wait for Zhao Yueru at the hospital in the morning; she came to pick him up instead.

Zhou Jingsong's expression shifted slightly, and he turned to look in Qi Donghan's direction.

Qi Donghan hummed in agreement, quite naturally, "I originally planned to carry the coffin anyway."

If you can't see it, that's fine; but if you can, you should definitely lend a hand.

However, Qi Donghan didn't intend to explain further. He called out to Uncle Meng, who was carrying the coffin, "Shall we go?"

The tone was concise and sharp.

Uncle Meng never expected that after carrying it for so long, with no one in the village daring to help, a stranger would come to lend a hand.

He wiped the rain off his face. "Comrade, thank you."

He lifted his foot and left, with Qi Donghan lagging behind. He carried the coffin on his broad shoulders, his feet sinking into the muddy ground.

Rainwater seeped into the edges of his shoes, but he remained unfazed.

The coffin moved as the person walked.

Wherever the coffin passed, those who had been blocking its way instinctively made way for it.

The two rivers are clearly distinct.

Even Uncle Meng, who had been arrogant and threatening in front of Meng Yingying, took a step back. His face was full of worry, and he was no longer as arrogant as before. Instead, he patiently explained.

“Comrade, it’s for us blood relatives to carry the coffin. It’s not appropriate for an outsider like you to do it.”

look.

His attitude changed so quickly; he even started speaking human language in the face of absolute power.

Qi Donghan looked up and wiped the raindrops from his face. His handsome features were made even more sharp by the rain. He raised his eyes and uttered a single word from his thin lips, "Get lost!"

At that tumble, Uncle Meng didn't even have the will to resist. He was terrified of Qi Donghan, who was tall, strong, and as fierce as a beast.

He kicked him so hard that he coughed up blood.

So, Uncle Meng could only watch helplessly as Qi Donghan and Uncle Meng carried the coffin away, one in front and one behind.

Uncle Meng stomped his foot in anger, "What kind of mess is this?"

Originally, it was a matter for the Meng family, but once today was over, they managed to get Meng Yingying under their control during the coffin-carrying ceremony.

So whether it's the house behind Meng Yingying or the savings left by Meng Baichuan.

Or perhaps Meng Yingying herself could be completely devoured by them.

This is the real way to exploit someone who has no family to rely on.

However, due to Qi Donghan's arbitrary intervention, their plan was instantly ruined.

Without the coffin bearers, how can we still manipulate Meng Yingying?

Seeing Uncle Meng suffer such a setback.

In addition, Zhou Jingsong was standing next to her.

This gave Zhao Yueru more confidence, and she spat at Uncle Meng, "Relatives? You don't even deserve to be called relatives!"

“My Yingying just lost her father, and you wolves and tigers are already trying to seize her property and force her into marriage? Are you even her family?”

"Even jackals and tigers aren't as ferocious as you!"

Uncle Meng's face was covered in spittle. He couldn't understand how Zhao Yueru, who hadn't dared to utter a word in front of them before, could be so arrogant now.

Is it because they're relying on the blind man next to them?

Although Zhou Jingsong couldn't see, he could accurately sense Uncle Meng's malice. He stood in front of Zhao Yueru without changing his expression and said calmly, "Call the Women's Federation over."

Uncle Meng subconsciously said, "Even the Women's Federation can't interfere; this is a private matter for our Meng family clan."

Zhou Jingsong looked up, his blindfolded eyes carrying a hint of pressure, and smiled, "Why don't you give it a try?"

Uncle Meng was taken aback. He took a deep breath, slunk away, and ultimately dared not let the Women's Federation come over.

Even if he is completely ignorant of the law, he knows that the crime of bullying female comrades is not a serious one.

Seeing that the jackals had finally left, Zhao Yueru quickly helped the soaking wet Meng Yingying into the house to take shelter from the rain.

Zhou Jingsong hesitated for a moment, then picked up his white cane and followed, touching the ground as he went.

Hearing the noise, Zhao Yueru turned around and saw Zhou Jingsong, whose eyes were covered with gauze, standing straight and using his white cane to explore the way ahead, steadily following behind her.

This made Zhao Yueru's heart soften. "Comrade Zhou, I'll hold your hand, and you help me support Yingying. I'll lead the way."

Zhou Jingsong's heart skipped a beat. He hesitated and reached out his hand, but Zhao Yueru, being a fiery person, immediately grabbed his large hand.

"Hold on tight, I'll lead the way."

"You helped my best friend up from behind."

Zhou Jingsong paused upon hearing this, realizing that it seemed inappropriate for him to be supporting an unmarried young woman.

So he came up with a compromise: he used his white cane to support half of Meng Yingying's upper body from behind.

Seeing this, Zhao Yueru couldn't help but feel even better about Zhou Jingsong.

This person is really nice.

They know how to behave appropriately, are polite, and know how to avoid suspicion.

Add one point!

Once inside, Zhao Yueru first helped Zhou Jingsong, who was blind, to a chair. Then, she helped Meng Yingying to the bedside and helped her lie down.

However, when they touched and moved away, Zhao Yueru accidentally touched Meng Yingying's forehead. The burning hot skin made Zhao Yueru shrink back.

"She has a fever."

She blurted out unconsciously, and couldn't help but lower her head to touch foreheads with Meng Yingying's, which made Zhao Yueru's expression even more serious, "High fever."

She has a high fever.

After his father's death, relatives made things difficult for him. He carried the coffin up the mountain in a torrential downpour, surrounded by wolves and tigers.

All of this overwhelmed Meng Yingying, causing her to fall into a coma and develop a persistent high fever—all signs of stress.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingsong frowned slightly. "A persistent high fever is troublesome; we'll have to see how it goes."

“I remember there was a barefoot doctor in the village. Go to him and get two doses of medicine.”

Zhao Yueru was somewhat hesitant. Zhou Jingsong thought for a moment and said, "I'll have someone send word to ask Doctor He to come over."

He was from Mengjiatun after all, so he knew him quite well.

Zhao Yueru was extremely grateful, "Thank you, Comrade Zhou."

"If it weren't for you and Comrade Qi today, my Yingying would definitely have suffered a great loss."

Even if she were there, it wouldn't matter. With so many men in the Meng clan, she and Meng Yingying, two unmarried young girls, were easy targets in their eyes, and they couldn't cause any trouble.

As for Uncle Meng, he couldn't carry the burden alone, which is why Uncle Meng didn't take him seriously at first.

Once Uncle Meng lifts the coffin, according to traditional customs, he can't free his hands because the coffin isn't on the ground.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Uncle Meng and his group had their sights set on Meng Yingying.

However, no one expected that Qi Donghan, this unexpected obstacle, would suddenly appear.

Zhou Jingsong shook his head, "I'm blind, so I couldn't help. The most important thing was Lao Qi; he was the one who helped."

"Go to the door and call Aunt Li. Give her two cents and ask her to call Dr. He over for you."

This is the real advantage of living in a village.

Zhao Yueru called out "Aiya!", took the money, and went out to find Aunt Li. Just as Zhou Jingsong had said, she called out and Aunt Li came over.

After she gave the money, Aunt Li put on a raincoat and went into the rain. Before long, she brought Doctor He back.

Doctor He knew Meng Yingying. He simply touched her forehead, examined her eyelids, and took her pulse. "Excessive grief damaged her heart meridian, and then she was caught in the heavy rain, which caused her to develop a high fever."

"I'll prescribe two fever-reducing pills for her. Watch her take them and see how it goes. If the fever doesn't go down by tomorrow, come back to me."

Zhao Yueru nodded, "Thank you for your help."

Dr. He had a bottle of medicine with him. He took out two pills and handed them to Zhao Yueru, saying, "One pill at a time."

"Force her to drink it."

Zhao Yueru nodded. "How much?"

Doctor He glanced at Meng Yingying, whose face was ashen and whose breath was barely perceptible, and waved his hand, "Forget it, no need for money. As long as this child can get through this ordeal, that's enough."

Not everyone in Mengjiatun wanted to exploit those who had no descendants.

More often, it's people like Dr. He who want to help but are afraid to.

Zhao Yueru paused for a moment, then slipped a dollar to Doctor He. After Doctor He left, she painstakingly fed the medicine to Meng Yingying.

Meng Yingying was jolted awake by the choking. She jolted awake, her bloodshot eyes filled with worry, "Where's my dad?"

The voice was ethereal and hoarse, as if the person was about to disappear at any moment.

Zhao Yueru felt a little sorry for him. "Uncle has been sent up the mountain. Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on him."

Hearing this, Meng Yingying breathed a sigh of relief. She tried to force herself to go out and take a look, but she couldn't hold on. The temperature of nearly forty degrees Celsius almost burned her to death.

In addition, after taking the medicine, my eyelids felt extremely sleepy.

He quickly collapsed, unable to hold on any longer.

It was only April, and it was still a bit chilly. Zhao Yueru covered her with a blanket, and when she turned around, she saw Zhou Jingsong sitting upright in a chair with gauze over his eyes, staring straight ahead.

Like a model student.

This made Zhao Yueru want to laugh, but she couldn't. "Comrade Zhou, I'm really sorry. I was supposed to pick you up from the hospital this morning and take you home, but as you know, my Yingying had an accident, and I came to be with her last night. I just couldn't find the time."

Zhou Jingsong felt much better after hearing her explanation.

He shook his head. "It's nothing."

The two were caught in an awkward silence, avoiding eye contact—the kind of shyness that often accompanies men and women of marriageable age when they are together.

Of course, he was blind and couldn't see because his eyes were covered with gauze.

Zhao Yueru was simply uncomfortable being in the same room with Zhou Jingsong; he was...

Adding to her worries were Meng Yingying, and Uncle Meng and Qi Donghan who were going up the mountain to carry the coffin. In no time, she was sweating profusely with anxiety.

Zhou Jingsong twitched his ears and immediately understood. He then comforted her, "Old Qi is a very strong fighter. The Meng clan members dare not lay a hand on him."

The implication was that with Qi Donghan carrying the coffin up the mountain, everything would go smoothly.

Just as Zhou Jingsong said.

Qi Donghan was like a fierce tiger. Wherever he carried the coffin, even Uncle Meng and the others dared not follow too closely.

Fearing that Qi Donghan would get angry and turn around to deal with them, they were afraid that he would get angry and turn around to punish

Judging by his physique and his military background, he's definitely not someone to be trifled with.

Once they reached the mountain, Uncle Meng led the way, with Qi Donghan assisting. The two lowered the coffin down and covered it with another layer of soil.

After I finish these tasks...

After kowtowing, Uncle Meng prepared to leave.

Qi Donghan stopped, his handsome features filled with doubt. "Aren't we going to erect a monument?"

Uncle Meng shook his head, "My second brother said we shouldn't erect a monument."

Qi Donghan wanted to ask why, but then he thought that it was the other person's private matter, so he kept quiet and just stared at the small grave mound for a while.

Without any requests from Uncle Meng.

Qi Donghan suddenly did the same, bowing three times to the lonely little grave mound.

Every time, it bends to a 90-degree angle.

When Uncle Meng saw this scene, he was somewhat dazed. He couldn't understand how his uncle Meng and the Meng clan could turn a blind eye to Meng Baichuan's coffin just for the sake of a house.

Yet this unfamiliar comrade in front of him was able to do this much.

Seeing that Uncle Meng was in a daze, Qi Dong tightened his collar and said, "Let's go."

Raindrops slid down his wheat-colored skin, down to his sharp chin, and finally disappeared into his prominent Adam's apple.

"Comrade."

Uncle Meng snapped out of his reverie, stared at Qi Donghan for a long while, and then said in a low voice, "Thank you for what happened this time."

When Uncle Meng thanked him, Qi Donghan thought of that cat-like face and how it looked when it was being bullied.

He paused, then stepped forward, his ankle sinking into the mud. The cool rainwater disappeared along the edge of his shoe. He said calmly, "Serving the people."

He is not good with words and has a cold personality.

After saying this, Uncle Meng wanted to say something more, but he kept his mouth shut because of Qi Donghan's strong aura.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, they went to the Meng family's two-story house. Uncle Meng wanted to invite Qi Donghan in for a drink of water, but Qi Donghan refused.

Hearing the noise, Zhou Jingsong inside tried to use his white cane to grope his way out, but Zhao Yueru stopped him, saying, "I'll take you out."

She stepped forward and naturally took Zhou Jingsong's arm.

Zhou Jingsong froze, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet, and even his walking became unsteady, with his hands and feet moving in unison.

Wait until they come out.

Qi Donghan immediately noticed the two hands supporting each other, especially Zhao Yueru's hand, which was resting on Qi Donghan's arm.

This made Qi Donghan take another look.

Even though Zhou Jingsong couldn't see, he could feel the piercing gaze of his comrades. He felt a little awkward. "I can't see. Comrade Zhao, please escort me out."

How are things on your end?

It seemed to be a deliberate attempt to change the subject.

Qi Donghan saw through it but didn't say it outright. He just hummed in agreement, "The coffin is now laid to rest."

Does anyone know the meaning of these words?

Looking at Qi Donghan, who was covered in water and mud, Zhao Yueru's eyes welled up with tears. She bowed and said, "Comrade, thank you."

She thanked him on Yingying's behalf.

Qi Donghan stepped aside, his tone concise and to the point: "No need."

He went to Zhou Jingsong and asked, "Shall I take you home?"

Zhou Jingsong nodded and walked over to Qi Donghan. His eyes, which were covered by gauze, fell on Zhao Yueru. "Comrade Zhao, I live in the first house on the west side of Mengjiatun. If you encounter any problems, come and find us."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yueru knew that the other party was going to support them, and she was immediately extremely grateful, "Thank you, Comrade Zhou."

"Thank you, Comrade Qi as well."

Zhou Jingsong shook his head. Qi Donghan wasn't one to ramble on, so he turned and left decisively.

After taking a couple of steps, she suddenly turned back and asked, as if casually, "How is your friend?"

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Author's note: There's more to come!